Unplugged: The New World (#1, Unplugged Trilogy)

Chapter Four

"Oh yeah!" She slaps a hand to her forehead then digs for something in her pocket. I gasp when she draws out her hand: a letter, such as the one I'd received from my mother, is clutched in her fingers. "I got this. It says it's from my grandma, but I'm not totally sure if it's real or not. I hadn't seen her in... Well, let's just say it's been a long time. She told me to come here, so I did." I notice that her perky disposition fades at the mention of her grandmother.

"That's exactly what happened to me, except the letter was supposedly from my mom. I don't really remember her at all." She nods soberly then whispers, "I can't speak for you, but it took me a lot of courage to come here."

I'm slightly taken aback by the sincerity of her confession. Actually, I've never had a free conversation like this with anyone before. I've always told myself that I didn't interact with people because I was afraid cameras, RScreens, or teachers would overhear us, but now I realize that I've been hesitant of human interaction simply because They convinced me I should be. Communication is a sacred thing that's being torn apart by technology and doctrines, like a perfectly edible fruit decaying under a swarm of termites. I feel free now that I'm no longer bound by the stifling rules of the AGD.

"What's your name?" I ask, my voice growing in strength. Knowing people's names is the first step in developing meaningful relationships, and has been silently discouraged by Them for a long time.

"Leah. Leah Ward," she replies, rubbing her hands on her pants. "And yours?"

"Enna."

"What about your last name?"

"Um..." Leah laughs at me and walks back into the hallway, but I feel a little perturbed. I follow her out of the room. Why can't I even remember my last name? "What's funny?" I ask, folding my arms.

"Nothing. I just think it's pathetic how we've forgotten our own identities. But it's alright... It's just a name, right?"

"Price," I say suddenly.

"Pardon me?"

"My last name. It's Price." It came to me suddenly, as though some greater being plucked the memory out of the recesses of my brain and placed it into my consciousness. The word feels familiar and comfortable on my lips. Leah nods and smiles, white teeth gleaming.

"Can I see your letter?" I ask. I'm curious of whether our letters are similar or not. They must be part of some larger, more complex coincidence.

"Sure." She hands it over to me and I flip it open, noticing that the texture of the paper is identical to that of my own letter. To my surprise, it reads exactly the same as my own except for the greeting-

DEAR LEAH,

-and the salutation:

NO DOUBT WE WILL BE REUNITED SOON,
GRANDMA

I hand her the letter back as I shiver, goose bumps spreading over my pale arms. A chilly breeze began to drift upwards from the open trapdoor. Leah looks to me, then down at the dark pit, then back to me expectantly.

"What?" I ask, startled.

"Are you ready to go or not?" The yawning chasm of darkness seems to sit in wait, eager to swallow me up into the ground. Running out of a building and hiding in an alley was one thing. But traveling under the ground in a pitch black staircase with a relative stranger? I don't know how far my limits are, since I've never tested them. Maybe this is the perfect test. I lick my lips and nod.

"I guess. I'm ready as I'll ever be..."

Leah takes a large breath, reassumes her usual cocky demeanor, then starts down the steps. I respect her bravery, even when I see her plaster-pale hands against the metal rails. I follow her--closing the door behind us--and soon we find ourselves surrounded by impenetrable darkness, descending deep into the earth. The air surrounding us feels close and damp, and I wonder how many more steps lie before us. My eyes are open as wide as possible but I still can't see anything: I can only feel the cold metal rail under my hand and hear our echoing footsteps.

"Cool!" Leah mutters, her voice drifting back to me. "The walls are made of stone!"

"Fascinating," I reply, cursing when I stub my toe on a rocky outcropping.

"We must be way below the city now... Weird." I find myself agreeing with her: we are definitely far below the sewer systems. My ears pop painfully.

"So..." Leah begins, slightly breathless. "You're pretty bold: not just anybody tries to run from the Graduation Ceremony." I shrug before I remember that she can't see me. "You aren't much of a talker, are you?"

"Not really. Our school had a lot of rules that discouraged talking, didn't it?"

"I guess so, but you could always find ways around them. I did." I can't see her but I imagine that she's wearing a satisfied smile again.

Shame writhes in my stomach when I think about the way I used to be, stiff and easily persuadable. I pledge to myself that I will change. Wherever we are going, I will change for the better. Meeting Leah has already helped to stimulate a part of me that I thought to be lost: my ability to form relationships with other people.

"Anyways, my talking at school made up for the lack of words spoken at home. My parents didn't really care about anything except work," she continues. I nod, forgetting again that she can't see me. "Am I annoying you?" She adds after a beat of silence.

"No, no. I'm listening," I say hurriedly, hoping I hadn't offended her. I brace myself for an angry response but, instead, she laughs. It's a pleasant, bouncing chuckle.

"You're pretty strange, Enna. But that's okay. I'm strange too." In the dark, my mouth bends into a smile for the first time in my life.